1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a mobile communication system and, more particularly, to an apparatus and method for managing a Virtual Machine (VM) in the mobile communication system.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an end point hosted hypervisor management process in a mobile communication system.
Referring to FIG. 1, the mobile communication system includes a relay+image repository 223, and a computer 224. There are three VMs 220, 221, 222 in the relay+image repository 223. The computer 224 includes a vAgent 225 that accesses the computer 224 in order to reimage the computer 224. The computer 224 includes a current VM. The computer 224 includes a storage 227, e.g., a disk. A new VM 230 is installed in the computer 224 and VM configuration information 231, a boot menu, and devices are setup.
The vAgent 225, which is in a VM host in FIG. 1, i.e., the computer 224, performs a management operation for a plurality of VMs that operate on the VM host. The management operation for the plurality of VMs includes, for example, a VM install operation, a replacement operation, a snapshot/rollback operation, a pause/resume operation, etc.
FIG. 2 schematically illustrates a Graphic User Interface (GUI) of an automatic install process of a virtualization host in a mobile communication system.
In FIG. 2, a screen shot indicates a Graphic User Interface (GUI) of a virtual management system, and the vAgent 225, as described in FIG. 1, may remotely manage a VM using the GUI.
In FIG. 2, reference numerals 301 and 302 indicate display areas, reference numeral 303 indicates a host, reference numeral 304 indicates general parameters, reference numeral 305 indicates VMs, reference numeral 306 indicates a network interface, reference numeral 307 indicates a device name, reference numeral 308 indicates a logical network/physical network name, reference numeral 309 indicates an address, i.e., an Internet Protocol (IP) address, and reference numeral 310 indicates a Medium Access Control (MAC) address.
As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, a VM host may remotely manage a VM using a vAgent.
In a mobile communication system, if VM hosts are distributed by region, there is no consideration of a case in which a VM machine, which a 3rd party entity intends to serve, is installed at a specific region.
Further, VM hosts in a Node B have insufficient capacities. If a VM of the 3rd party entity is deployed, the VM of the 3rd party entity continuously operates even though there is no User Equipment (UE), which uses a server that is on the VM of the 3rd party entity. Thus, resources are continuously consumed. Finally, resource waste occurs due to unnecessary resource consumption.